TEHRAN -An Iranian academic was killed in a terrorist attack in Tehran on Wednesday morning. 

The academic was identified as Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan, 32, a graduate of Sharif University of Technology in chemical engineering. 

The incident occurred at about 8:20 a.m. local time. 

According to authorities at Sharif university, Ahmadi-Roshan held a post at the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility. 

He was reportedly in charge of commercial affairs at the nuclear site. 

The terrorists, who were riding a motorcycle, attached a magnetic bomb to his Peugeot 405 on Gol Nabi Street.  

The Mehr also reported that Ahmadi-Roshan had met with International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors a few days before he was assassinated. 

The police have launched an investigation into the incident. 

There were two other people in the car when the bomb exploded, one of whom, who was the driver identified as Reza Qashqavi, succumbed to his injuries on the same day. 

The witnesses said that the force of the explosion was such that windows of houses in the vicinity were blown out.

The incident occurred a day before the second martyrdom anniversary of Iranian elementary-particle physicist Massoud Ali-Mohammadi, who was also assassinated in a bomb attack on January 12, 2010. Ali-Mohammadi had just left his home when a bomb hidden in a motorcycle was detonated. 

Some political analysts have said that the modus operandi of the attack shows that the explosion was the handiwork of terrorists affiliated with the Mossad. 

However, no group has yet claimed responsibility for the incident. 

Tehran Deputy Governor Safar Ali Baratlo pointed a finger of blame at the Zionist regime. 

“The bomb was a magnetic bomb and is the same as those previously used to assassinate scientists, and is the work of the Zionists,” Baratlo told the Fars News Agency. 

On November 29, 2010, two prominent physicists were targeted by terrorists in two separate bombings. Professor Majid Shahriari was killed and Professor Fereydoun Abbasi was injured in the attacks. The two academics were both on their way to work at Shahid Beheshti University in northern Tehran when they were attacked. The police say that in both incidents, terrorists riding motorcycles attached magnetic bombs to the physicists’ cars. 

Baratlo added, “It seems that the Zionists’ efforts are meant to undermine security ahead of the election so that the people would not turn out in great numbers.” 

Iran’s next parliamentary election is scheduled to be held on March 2. 

The enemies have felt that the imposition of sanctions and pressure on Iran has gotten them nowhere and therefore are attempting to create security challenges for the Islamic Republic ahead of the election, he stated. 

Such assassinations are doomed to failure and will make the Iranian people more “united” and “vigilant”, he said, adding that the enemies have realized the true status of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ramin Mehmanparast said that Tehran will file a complaint with the relevant international organizations over the assassination of the academic. 

 

Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi also condemned the terrorist attack and offered condolences to the nation. 

“The enemies of the Iranian nation must be aware that such terrorist actions cannot hinder the Islamic Republic of Iran’s progress in various scientific spheres,” Rahimi stated during a cabinet meeting. 

 

The attack was carried out by elements affiliated with the Western hegemonistic powers and the Zionist regime, he said, adding, “Today, those who claim to be advocates of the campaign against terrorism have targeted Iran’s scientists.” 

Rahimi went on to say that the incident is an instance of state terrorism, and “we will discredit the enemies of the Iranian nation before the world.” 

During an open session of the Majlis, Iranian MPs chanted slogans “Down with the United States,” “Death to Israel,” and “Death to the Monafiq (hypocrite)” condemning the terrorist act.  

A number of MPs also commented on the incident. 

MP Kazem Jalali, the rapporteur of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said, “Such assassinations indicate that the information that Iran had provided the international community with has been leaked to the enemies” while countries should be able to confide in organizations like the International Atomic Energy Agency.  

MP Ali Larijani, the Majlis speaker, stated that the incident once again demonstrated the enemies’ hostility toward the Islamic Republic. 

MP Shahabeddin Sadr, the Majlis second deputy speaker, said, “Thirty years of experience has shown that such blind assassinations carried out by lackeys of the United States and Israel will have no impact on the movement of our nation.” 

MP Zohreh Elahian, the chairperson of the Majlis Human Rights Committee, said, “The enemy thinks that it can eliminate the thought of our young scientists through the physical elimination of our scientists. But that is a wrong assumption.” 

MP Hojjatoleslam Hossein Ebrahimi, the deputy chairman of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said that the attack was meant to undermine the Majlis election.  

He also stated that the committee will investigate the incident. 

The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), the Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology, Sharif university, the Islamic Ideology Dissemination Organization, and a number of other organizations and people issued separate statements condemning the attack.

Part of the AEOI statement read that Ahmadi-Roshan had offered sincere services to the country’s nuclear industry and his path will be followed.